fast18 Posted May 3, 2005 Report Share Posted May 3, 2005 Got my new issue of Late Model Racer in the mail today and on the cover is the picture of the #27 USRA late Model on fire. There is also a very good article about the incident and the Hero photographer that was there taking these great pictures. Way to go Marc ! Mickey McKim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted May 4, 2005 Report Share Posted May 4, 2005 It says "Texas Heat"...Two pages inside...three photo sequence and they gave props to Chuck L and Bobby C...Nice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted May 4, 2005 Report Share Posted May 4, 2005 Is that what it takes for the locals to hit the front page? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SASPEEDRACER24 Posted May 4, 2005 Report Share Posted May 4, 2005 Thats pretty damn cool considering how I havnt even gotten the mag yet or knew what that was is in store... Craig Murto did a good job of keeping me in the dark on it but one thing I continue to stand by is that Im not a hero its the drivers who continue to make those laps night after night are the hero's Im just a photographer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SASPEEDRACER24 Posted May 4, 2005 Report Share Posted May 4, 2005 Turbo believe me when I say this I am trying extremely hard to get USRA on the front cover of Late Model Digest and Late Model Racer... I can also tell you that an accident isnt what it takes... Its takes a combonation of things I.E. (1) Popularity... If you have a driver that does alot of traveling East for instance like a Casey Smith or a Chris Davidson or a Tommy Grimes ect they are better know and can sell more magazines by name recognition... (2) Pictures must have an excitement quality to them... What I mean there is that the drive cant just simply get out of his car with little to no emotion take his winner circle picture and drive off... No they must have excitement Tommy Grimes last USRA race was a perfect example... He showed not only that he was excited for his first win in 2 years but also grabed the checkers and flug it around over his head...Like I have told a few guys already it can be as simple as handing the driver a bottle of water and letting him go crazy with it... (3) Most important a story to go with the picture... Luckilly that is what Chuck Licata Bobby Chaffee and JM Hallas have been doing for all of you in on way or another over the past few years without these guys there is absolutely no chance of getting into those magazines... In fact while I am at it those guys should get more recognition than they do so to JM, Bobby, and Chuck I say thank you for all that you do for local racing be it on dirt or asphalt... Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Definitive Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Ummm...my question was tongue and cheek...I too have noticed more and more reports on our local drivers in the mags.I have been a subscriber of Late Model Digest for a long time now,and it's just recently that they have had someting about our racing in every issue.One thing you left out...when it concerns getting our local racers some publicity is,our tracks holding big events and hosting the out of state based touring series.As long as the Nascar tours keep making inroads into texas,our local racers popularity around the nation will continue to grow. I guess my comment was just meant to be cliche in tone...but it's still true with San Antonio news casts.The big wrecks get the coverage with who won the race actually being left out. It drives me crazy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bar2248 Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Tommy Grimes was on teh front page (cover) of Late Model Digest for his win in Kyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Guys, Late Model Digest should be a lay down. It exists to cover late model racing, duh, so all you have to do is get them the story of the race and a decent photo or two, and they'll run it. That's what they do. The times we DON'T get coverage in a magazine or newspaper that exists solely to cover the kind of racing we do is simply because we haven't bothered to tell them about it, and it IS a little far for them to come to Texas to cover our events on a regular basis. It will help if the stories we send are well-written and the photos are decent, but they'll accept less quality as long as the information is in the story and the photos are reasonably in focus. The big problem is that Late Model Digest, for example, doesn't have much circulation, though it is important within the sport. We have to reach out to the mainstream media if we want to raise our profile and put more fans in the stands. Speaking of that, did anyone notice the short piece about the regional kart races at Iron Rock raceway in the Austin American-Statesman today? Wonder why kart races get in, and Thunder Hill doesn't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProTree Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 i saw it in the paper-probably because they keep sending em info all the time is my guess-or they've keep inviting certain people from the paper(or person) out for a open house and a tour of the place,give em free rides in the karts or they have a big advertising budget or a marketing director paid to get the word out-never know,could of blackmailed somebody-took a married guy from the paper to a topless joint,got a few drinks in him,paid for him a lap dance,got your camera phone and took a picture of him having fun and told him put something in the paper or i'll show your new wife these pictures- there's no telling--lol-whats your take TQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Tommy, if it were blackmail, they'd have gotten a lot more press than they did! I think they've just done what nearly any business, particularly one in the entertainment field, does: court the media. Think about it: we knew about Iron Rock a long time before they started their operation. We also knew about the Round Rock Express when they not only didn't have a name, they didn't have a town. We knew about the Austin Ice Bats months before they ever played a game. We were buried in front-page stories on the Austin Wranglers long before they began operating, let alone played a game. And we're now getting a constant stream of info about the new NBA "farm team" they want to start in Austin. But race tracks don't do any of that; at least, not south of Ft. Worth. We expect the media to just find us, and then make us famous. Ain't gonna happen. Does everyone think the sports guys drive out to the baseball field just in case there's a game today? Or does someone go to a great deal of time and trouble to make sure they know when and where the games are, who is playing, and why anyone should care? I'm on the press list for TMS. Among other things, they send media alerts, letting the media know what drivers will be in town and when they will be available for interviews. Of course, that wouldn't work on the local level right now because no one knows any of our drivers. We first have to create heroes. Yes, Reb, TMS has a lot of money. But it doesn't cost much money for anyone to send out press releases, and I think I got about 40 this year just referring to the April NASCAR weekend at TMS. (I sent over 40 releases one season for a driver client who only ran about five or six races that year.) In short, I don't think Iron Rock is doing anything differently from other entertainment venues, it just looks that way to us because, for some reason, short track operators and series administrators (it's not accurate to call them "promoters," because most of them don't) in racing think they don't have to do those things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 TQ, But race tracks don't do any of that; at least, not south of Ft. Worth. We expect the media to just find us, and then make us famous. Isn't going to happen. Does everyone think the sports guys drive out to the baseball field just in case there's a game today? Or does someone go to a great deal of time and trouble to make sure they know when and where the games are, who is playing, and why anyone should care? I can't help but wonder why you feel the need to put down a very dedicated group of volunteers (or VERY underpaid track/series employees) in our area who have done their best to get local/regional racing publicized. For instance, a large number of local, area and national media outlets receive TAMS releases three or four times per TAMS race. And these are not just "one size fits all" stories. They are each customized for the particular outlet and sent one at a time, often with a personal note to the sports editor, sports desk or program director on the cover page. I know Jay Hallas sends his work to a large group of outlets. And Chuck Licata, Pat Mayberry, Deb Williams and, more recently, Bobby Chaffee have done the same for their respective racing organizations. And in the past Bruce Mabrito, Mike Haag and Neil Upchurch carried the torch when none of the rest of us bothered to step up. There are many others who had given it a shot as well. If you can get regular front-page local racing stories in the San Antonio Express-News or the Houston Chronicle or the Austin Am-Statesman or the Corpus Christi Caller-Times on the budgets that most of us work under, then let's see it. I know. I know. You're going to say that it's the job of the track and/or series to come up with the capital to invest in major advertising campaigns. But if you seriously believe that is going to happen, then you seriously need to wake up and smell the coffee. Sure, give me 50K a month to get the local racing word out and watch what happens. But, dude, that kind of money just plain is not there. Quite frankly, I am sick of hearing about how everyone in South/Central Texas have their heads up their butts. Why not join in with the rest of us who are doing our best to get the word out instead of degrading us every chance you get? Nick Holt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProTree Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTONLM04 Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 TQ, ... Quite frankly, I am sick of hearing about how everyone in South/Central Texas have their heads up their butts. Why not join in with the rest of us who are doing our best to get the word out instead of degrading us every chance you get? Nick Holt I'm with you Nick. I'm sick and tired of hearing nothing but negativity spew from TQ as well. Perhaps he could take a few minutes to stop the critiquing and criticizing and DO SOMETHING himself. After all, he is the expert now isn't he... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfgarvin Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Congrats Marc Marc and myself send in the pic's to all the magazines and other media outlets along with J M Hallas,Bobby Chaffee,Chuck Licata & Pat Mayberry who supply the write ups, All do a Fantastic job. We want to get the Drivers in these magazines and have them get the recognition that they deserve. Past Issues of Late Model Digest and Late Model Racer have ran stories, pic's and features of TSRS and USRA (then Romco). All above have contributed to the coverage in these magazines and deserve recognition. Everyone has also tried the same in the local newspaper. Jeff Garvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyRodriguez Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 right on LM04 and Nick, maybe the expert needs to chime in with folks more in line with his knowledge. Great job Marc, glad to see your good fortune. You deserve it, you do great work and you are very humble, keep up the great work man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Nick- I'm not knocking anyone's efforts, just saying most of them are misplaced. You yourself just confused "promotion" with "advertising," and you should know better. It seems everyone knows we need to get fans in the stands, but that's the last thing anyone is willing to spend time or money to accomplish. If you don't have the money to promote your track or series, you don't have the money to operate a track or series; promotion just isn't optional. But you also need to know what you are doing. When I said series don't promote drivers, one series operator sent me an email saying they promote their drivers, because they send a press release with the results of every race to the media. If getting results and points out quickly and widely is "promoting the drivers," Kathy Tiemann at Thunder Hill should be promoter of the year. I'm also a little tired of having people who are being paid to do the PR job at a track or for a series call or email me and want to know who my media contacts are, and how to get them out to cover whatever. (I've got an idea: I'll sign up all the drivers who need help with chassis setup, get their money, then call you and ask you to tell me how to fix their cars. Sound good?) Jeff- I have been getting stories in the local papers and on TV for over 20 years, despite often having to swim upstream because the tracks and series don't do the basic (and inexpensive) things they need to do to be considered serious players in the entertainment field. And, yes, I was there talking to them before they built THR and before the Bakers started at HMP. I even worked with Longhorn in the latter days and tried to work with another track whose manager was, shall we say, less than honorable. One other thing: I've had a TV sportscaster on hold for the last two weeks, trying to get a particular driver to return my call or email so I can set them up for a story. No response... Every track in the area, every series, should have a qualified and paid PR person. I'll guarantee you every other sport has one, or more, and they are what makes their sport, team or facility credible to the media. As it is, karts are obviously a little more credible than late models in Central Texas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 http://www.ksu.edu/counseling/csweb/topics...ps/dysfunc.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAPA Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 LL LMAO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrungot Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 Larry did you google that like papa or was that in your fav. list?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 I found it doing research for Laura... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tqj3 Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 I love it, Larry, but here's the question: "Have you ever known anyone who came from a family that WASN'T dysfunctional?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrungot Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 LOL.. yeah she knew what she was getting into.. thanks for helping her understand how to accept it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SASPEEDRACER24 Posted May 6, 2005 Report Share Posted May 6, 2005 LOL Cant we all get along.... Sheesh....Thanks Jeff for the kind words you have been there to help me when I went to some of the tracks for the first time or in the event of 2 years ago broken equiptment. You do just as hard of work as I do to get your pictures to the media. Hopefully we can all start working together in the future. If we dont we will never get the exposure the drivers/fans/tracks deserve... Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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